Lhanbryde Primary School Nursery Day Care of Children
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Lhanbryde Primary School Nursery Day Care of Children Garmouth Road Lhanbryde Elgin IV30 8PD Telephone: 01343 843778 Type of inspection: Unannounced Completed on: 4 March 2020 Service provided by: Service provider number: The Moray Council SP2003001892 Service no: CS2003016376 Inspection report About the service This service has been registered since 2002. Lhanbryde Primary School Nursery is registered to provide a care service to a maximum of 35 children at any one time aged from three years to those not yet attending primary school. The service operates from its own premises adjoining the primary school building; it has its own secure play area that is directly accessible from the play room. The service also has use of the adjacent school grounds. We check services are meeting the principles of Getting it Right for Every Child (also known as GIRFEC, Scotland's national approach to improving outcomes and wellbeing for children by offering the right help at the right time from the right people. It supports them and their parent(s) to work with the services that can help them. There are eight wellbeing indicators at the heart of GIRFEC, safe, healthy, achieving, nurtured, active, respected, responsible and included (also known as SHANARRI). What people told us There was a total of 28 children present during the inspection, although numbers fluctuated during the day due to the nature of the service provided. We saw that the children were relaxed, happy and assured. They appeared confident in their play, at times being engaged in play on their own, in pairs or small groups. Children moved between the play areas independently and clearly enjoyed the opportunity to decide if they played inside or outside. Children were excited by the spontaneous request to go to the woods to search for the Gruffalo which they clearly enjoyed. Children told us that they had fun at nursery and liked playing with their friends. Seven parents returned completed Care Standards Questionnaires. We spoke with six parents face-to- face. Parents had been using the service for variable periods of time; overall they were very happy with the service provided. They found staff approachable and friendly and willing to listen and help if needed. They spoke favourably about the changes to the environment and the improvement made to the service that had made a difference related to the work of the staff team. Specfic comments included: 'I am really happy with the service and the changes have had a significant impact, I feel confident leaving my child at the nursery' 'my child loves the nursery and has formed great friendships and always looks forward to seeing their teachers' 'overall I am really pleased, it would be nice to have a bit more information at pick up times, particularly what my child has eaten and how they have been' 'all staff have made nursery a hugely enjoyable experience for my child and they have had the help they need' 'a lovely service, I have nothing but positive things to say, the outdoor learning is great'. Inspection report for Lhanbryde Primary School Nursery page 2 of 11 Inspection report Self assessment The service had not been asked to complete a self-assessment in advance of the inspection. We looked at their own improvement plan that demonstrated their priorities for development. From this inspection we graded this service as: Quality of care and support 5 - Very Good Quality of environment 4 - Good Quality of staffing 4 - Good Quality of management and leadership 5 - Very Good Quality of care and support Findings from the inspection We saw that staff had established positive relationships with parents and shared information at drop off and collection times, which helped to support children's health and wellbeing by nurturing a consistent approach between home and the setting. Parents also valued the regular updates and newsletters. Children were being helped to have a natural and real understanding of the SHANARRI indicators, making a difference to their growth and development. Children were able to make choices about their play which captured their interest through investigation and exploration, whilst taking account of their needs and abilities. Children played well together and worked out theories with each other when using construction materials and being creative. Short group activities enabled children to talk together, listen and share their ideas. Children were being encouraged to have an understanding of emotions, to share and develop a sense of fairness and respect for each other. Children's contributions were clearly valued and respected through self directed play, the consolidation of floor books (encourage thinking skills through talking together in a group), and responsive interactions with staff during activities. Children experienced sensitive and meaningful care, helping to build on their confidence and self esteem. The mainly consistent staff team had got to know the children very well. They liaised closely with families to make a positive difference through early intervention, aligning with the GIRFEC approach. The personal care plan for the child monitored their health and wellbeing needs. Due to the implementation of a new method of assessing children's learning and progression, we suggested that a coordinated approach to the review of the personal care plan with parents/carers may be beneficial. A child protection policy was in place; staff had an understanding of child protection issues and procedures as a result of training, contributing to safeguarding of the children. Documentation was in place to support the safe administration of medication Children's physical and emotional and social wellbeing was being promoted during active and free flow (indoor/outdoor) play. Snacks and meals consisted of a range of healthy foods which followed nutritional guidance and complied with children's dietary needs and food preferences. Children were involved in the Inspection report for Lhanbryde Primary School Nursery page 3 of 11 Inspection report preparation of the snack; involving them more widely in the delivery would also provide learning opportunities. Self-help skills were being promoted; children sat in small groups with staff, it was a pleasant and positive social experience. Requirements Number of requirements: 0 Recommendations Number of recommendations: 0 Grade: 5 - very good Quality of environment Findings from the inspection The premises were well maintained, clean and free from hazards, children were able to move around safely and independently. Children were learning about the importance of personal hygiene and how to keep healthy as they were encouraged to wash their hands after using the toilet and before having their snack. Applying consistent practice related to respiratory and nasal hygiene would also help to support best practice and reduce the potential for the spread of infection. Staff had completed first aid training so that children were treated appropriately should an accident occur. The decor in the play area was calming and lots of natural light supported psychological wellbeing. Consideration had been given to children making their own choices in play and being able to self-select from different resources and materials that were readily accessible. Natural and open ended (no fixed purpose) materials were being introduced. Children enjoyed decorating and painting boxes and using real items in the house corner during imaginary play. A reading area with some cushions provided a break away space from the hub of activities. Following a programme of refurbishment, the play space remained an area of evaluation so that it best met the needs of the children. Staff were mindful that a more inviting cosy/quiet space/story corner would be beneficial for children to rest and recuperate and a well designed home/role play area was being developed to extend exploratory play. Potential changes to the service provision were also being taken into consideration. Children clearly enjoyed being able to play outside throughout the session, they were confident in choosing what clothing they needed to wear. The focus and introduction of a weekly forest session and spontaneous visits to a nearby wooded area was helping children to develop skills to recognise and manage risk. We saw that children enjoyed scrambling up and down hills, climbing on a fallen tree and finding natural objects that extended the imagination. The outdoor play area had a digging area and a young child demonstrated determination and concentration when uncovering a small stone that was buried. Natural items such as large sticks, wooden reels, gardening tools and a mud kitchen were helping to support thinking skills. A grassed area with mound was to be available to the children in the near future and continued introduction of loose parts (scrap materials and random objects) would help to extend problem solving and sustained thinking. Inspection report for Lhanbryde Primary School Nursery page 4 of 11 Inspection report Requirements Number of requirements: 0 Recommendations Number of recommendations: 0 Grade: 4 - good Quality of staffing Findings from the inspection Staff had a natural and unassuming manner with the children, creating an environment where children were confident, happy and assured. The motivated and caring approach of mostly qualified and experienced staff was beneficial to improving children's learning and overall wellbeing. Staff worked well together and shared roles and responsibilities such as snack, group activities and hand over to parents at the end of session. Staff members were gaining confidence in enabling children to take the lead and find things out for themselves, whilst knowing when to intervene to help them to work out their own theories. The staff team had undertaken shared learning related to emotional coaching and zones of regulation. This was helping staff to have a wider understanding of emotions and how to react to feelings in healthy ways and build children's resilience. Staff used kind words in a calm and unhurried manner so that children had time to absorb information.